MovieChat Forums > The Ipcress File (1965) Discussion > Grantby (spoilers)

Grantby (spoilers)

posted 16 years ago by gav-14
1 reply | jump to latest

At the end of the novel, Grantby is given a department working between (Palmer) and Ross. In the film, his fate is left unknown; Dalby, as a traitor, is shot.

Grantby, whilst also a villain, makes logical sense to turn into a double, at least as far as the book goes.

It would be nice to know if the filmmakers had any plan for working this into the plot; it could have made a interesting twist to have him end up working for the British, although the danger would be in diminishing the effect of the conclusion as it stands.

[–] stevekaczynski 8 years ago

I only glanced at the book. I had the impression it was quite different from the film.
Grantby comes across as very English but is in fact born Albania, 1918. He is slippery when Harry first meets him and ruthless during the interrogation scene. He seems subservient to Dalby - they are seated together in what I imagine is Dalby's club, and the latter peremptorily orders him to get the men out of the warehouse after Harry escapes. If Grantby had been a double, Dalby's plot would have possibly never got off the ground and this was probably a complexity too far for the film.

"Chicken soup - with a *beep* straw."